An estimated 2.1 million Chromebooks shipped in 2013 with nearly 89% of total shipments reaching North America, according to market intelligence firm ABI Research. As Chromebook shipments expand globally, ABI Research forecasts an increase of CAGR 28% to 11 million in 2019.

Acer has debuted a $250 Chromebook powered by an Intel Celeron 2955U Haswell processor. The new Chromebook - which boasts an extended battery life of 8.5 hours - is loaded with 4GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and an 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display.

Acer's recently debuted C720 Chromebook may bear a definite similarity to the older Acer C710, although the latest iteration of the 'book is thinner (measuring 0.75 inches thick) and lighter (weighing 2.76 pounds). Plus, the device offers twice the battery life - all for the same $199 price tag.

Just a few short years ago it would have been difficult to find anyone who took Google's Chromebook seriously. All that has changed, though, as the barebones laptop running Mountain View's web-centric OS gains share - while the rest of the market shrinks.

Back in February, Google introduced its flagship Pixel device, a high-end $1,300 touch-screen Chromebook powered by a 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5 SoC. As previously discussed on TG Daily, The Pixel was greeted with enthusiasm by many in the industry, including none other than Linux founder Linus Torvalds.